If you are a first-time homeowner or just starting to expand your roofing knowledge, you may have noticed that some homes have visible ventilation systems attached to their roof. Before we dive into roof ventilation in detail. It’s essential to have a solid understanding of what roof ventilation is and why it’s important. To define it simply, roofing ventilation is just what it sounds like. It is the removal of moisture and hot air from your home’s attic. It’s important because proper roof ventilation is needed to prolong your roof’s life, prevent mold from forming in your attic, and prevent recurrent ice dams. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the different types of roofing ventilation; signs of poor ventilation; and the benefits of proper ventilation. Let’s get you started with Ventilation: Homeowners Guide to Proper Roof Ventilation!
Ventilation: homeowners guide to proper roof ventilation – in-depth information to increase your understanding
Now that you have a better idea of what proper roof ventilation is. It’s time to learn about the most common types of roof ventilation. The two main types of vents include exhaust vents and intake vents. Exhaust vents are designed to remove hot air and moisture from your attic. If this hot air is not removed, you could end up with mold forming, warping of your home’s wood, and other damage caused by rotting wood. This is why having proper ventilation is a must!
The second type of vent is called an intake vent. This brings in clean, fresh air from outside your home and circulates this air in your attic. While it may seem counterintuitive to bring more air into your home, replacing stagnant air inside your attic with fresh air from outside is practical for lowering cooling costs during the hot summer months in Colorado.
With this information in mind, many homeowners wonder about how to tell if the attic is properly ventilated. A good rule of thumb for determining if your home has poor ventilation is by the following signs:
- Recurring ice dams
- Wet spots on your ceiling
- Damaged shingles
- High energy bills
- Visible damage inside your home, such as paint peeling
If you notice any of these signs in your home, you likely don’t have proper roof ventilation. As you know, the best way to vent attic heat is through adequate ventilation. It’s important to ensure that your home is doing its job correctly with either exhaust vents or intake vents, or even better, both! For more information on proper roof ventilation, check out this article by Apple Roofing.
Benefits of proper roof ventilation
We’ve briefly alluded to why proper roof ventilation is important. To expand this concept even further, it’s good to understand some of the benefits of having proper roof ventilation. The two main benefits of having adequate roof ventilation are keeping your utility bills low and increasing the lifespan of your roof. Summers are scorching in Colorado, so having stagnant air build-up in your attic can increase your cooling expenses significantly. Also, hot air trapped in your attic can lead to shingles drying out and cracking more rapidly than a roof with good ventilation.
Besides these two benefits, having proper roof ventilation can prevent mold, moisture damage, and ice dams from forming. If you are unfamiliar with ice dams, a good way to tell if these are developing is if you have a lot of icicles hanging from your gutters. Despite the pretty look, this is not something that homeowners want to have dangling from their homes. This is a sign of poor ventilation. If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of proper roof ventilation, check out this article from Roofing Above All for more benefits. You can also learn more about the best roofing ventilation soffit vents in this video:
Getting proper roof ventilation
We’ve given you a lot of information to process in this “ventilation: homeowners guide to proper roof ventilation” article. If you are ready to get your roof on the right track, we are happy to assist you. As an independent Greeley-based roofing company that serves Greeley, Fort Collins, Loveland, Wellington, Severance, Timnath, Pierce, Windsor, and all of Northern Colorado, Summit Roofing Solutions LLC is your best option for local roofing contractors in the area.
Our company specializes in residential roofing and repairs. There are plenty of roofing options to choose from when you work with Summit Roofing Solutions LLC. We also specialize in roofing repair after hail storms, so if you need a new roof due to damage caused by hail, we are happy to assist you in getting a new one. Call (970) 381-9926 to contact us about scheduling your roofing replacement or for a free estimate. We look forward to working with you soon!
Check out this 5-star review from our happy client, Susan Buderus.
“Summit Roofing was professional, responsive, and completed the project on time. They also made it extremely easy to choose a design and color of roofing material that would work with your home. I would highly recommend them.”
You may also be interested in our blog: How Do I Choose the Best Roofing Contractor?
